The practice of measuring student progress and teacher quality predates the No Child Left Behind Act. But amid the debates and media coverage spurred by the 2001 law, NCLB is often the central focus in discussions about accountability and testing.

To maintain a clear perspective of all the issues surrounding testing, use the resources in this Knowledge Center. The articles, links, and success stories will keep you in touch with NCLB and its effect on instruction as well as state or district-mandated practices and trends in classroom assessment.

One of the four pillars of NCLB is "Stronger Accountability for Results."As part of the accountability requirement, schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress are warned that they need to show improvement or the government might demand "dramatic changes" in how the school operates. Best practices dictate that, to avoid a downward trend, school leaders should routinely assess students through ongoing exams, portfolios, and/or observation. A variety of nonprofit and for-profit companies offer assessment tools to help educators monitor student performance. The key to success, however, is being able to act on the data gathered through assessment.

Of course, standardized tests are the most common tools used to measure individual student performance. And the student body's overall test scores determine whether that school is making adequately yearly progress. Tests are also used to judge teacher and principal success.

The weight assigned to high-stakes tests has fueled widespread criticism of the current "testing culture," which is said to degrade instruction by forcing educators to teach to the test or spend too much time on test prep. It is also blamed for high stress levels among students and educators.

The controversy will continue. But as all sides debate the issues, educators can not lose sight of the fact that tests are not an end: they are only an instrument for continually improving instruction. Your work begins once the tests are scored and the numbers are in. Using assessment data, administrators can make informed decisions on where to allocate resource to better support areas in which students are underperforming. Ultimately, the goal is for tests to help ensure that all students are receiving appropriate educational opportunities.

Spotlight Administrator: A No Excuses Leader
When the results of the first Colorado State Assessment Test showed that her school district was failing its children, Superintendent Joyce Bales took drastic measures -- and turned the schools around.

Managing Test Anxiety
A survey of more than 8,000 elementary-school teachers revealed the truth about the amount of time spent on test prep and the levels of testing anxiety experienced by teachers and students.

FairTest
This public education and advocacy organization produces a quarterly newsletter and in-depth reports analyzing current testing methods and advocating reform.

Achieve, Inc.
An independent organization formed by governors and CEOs, Achieve develops, benchmarks, and analyzes standards to promote higher achievement.

Education Trust
Established by the American Association for Higher Education to encourage colleges and universities to support K-12 reform, Education Trust works to close achievement gaps and ensure quality education for all K-12 students.

National Assessment Governing Board
Provides information to the public on what American students know and can do in reading, math, and a range of academic subjects both nationally and state-by-state.

SchoolMatters
This service of Standard & Poor's provides independent analysis of both fiscal and academic performance for school systems.

Educational Testing Service
The ETS is a nonprofit that does test research and development aimed at advancing quality and equity in education for all people worldwide

The College Board
This organization manages the administration of college entrance exams: the SAT, PSAT, and AP tests